Calls for "10 a Day" as Industry Defends Fruit & Veg Approach

23 Feb 2017 --- Consuming ten portions of fruit and veg a day offers the greatest benefit when it comes to protecting from heart disease, strokes, cancer and early death, according to new research. It is estimated that if consumers increased their intake to this number, approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be potentially prevented every year.

The scientists from Imperial College London analyzed 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake, and found that although even the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduced disease risk, the greatest benefit came from eating 10 portions, or 800g a day.

Despite the findings that eating the UK recommended 5 portions a day also offers protective effects, it’s thought that fewer than one in three UK adults currently meet this target.

A Food and Drink Federation (FDF) spokesperson told NutritionInsight: “Fruit and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, whether fresh, frozen, tinned, juiced or dried.”

“Many leading manufacturers are adding more fruit or vegetables to their ranges and clearly labelling products that contribute one of your “5 a day”, an approach that was encouraged under the Responsibility Deal’s fruit and vegetables pledge.

“It’s a shame that the current sugars and health debate has sometimes led to the demonisation of products high in fruits and vegetables. It’s also unfortunate that adding extra tomato to sauces or dried fruit to cereal which can help increase intakes can be seen negatively due to the corresponding increase in total sugars on their label. That’s why informed debate and consistent information are so important– for consumers making decisions about their diets and for food producers making decisions about their products.”

Speaking with NutritionInsight, Bridget Benelam, Nutrition Communications Manager at the British Nutrition Foundation said: “The study acknowledges that there are significant benefits from consuming 5 a day in terms of reducing disease risk.”

“While it’s great if people can exceed this target and consume more, in the UK only about a third of adults meet the 5 a day target and so it’s probably not realistic to suggest increasing this at this stage.”

Dr Dagfinn Aune, lead author of the research from the School of Public Health at Imperial explained that the purpose of the study was to investigate how much fruit and vegetables consumers need to eat, in order to gain the maximum protection against disease, and premature death.

“Our results suggest that although five portions of fruit and vegetables is good, ten a day is even better,” he says.

The research shows that eating 800g a day was associated with a 24 per cent reduced risk of heart disease, a 33 per cent reduced risk of stroke, a 28 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a 13 per cent reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31 per cent reduction in dying prematurely.

However, even a daily intake of 200g (2 and half portions) was associated with a 16 per cent reduced risk of heart disease, an 18 per cent reduced risk of stroke, and a 13 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

This risk was calculated in comparison to not eating any fruit and vegetables.

“Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system,” said Dr Aune.

“This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold. For instance they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage, and lead to a reduction in cancer risk.”

With obesity and chronic diseases rising worldwide, combined with an insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables, nutritional supplement companies have cornered a niche offering consumers an alternative product to meet their vitamin and mineral intake needs.

According to Innova Market Insights data, launches of vitamin and mineral supplements rose from 16.55% in 2015 to 19.5% in 2016, illustrating growth in this area.

However, Dr Aune says that the vast array of beneficial compounds of fruit and vegetables cannot be easily replicated in a pill.

“Most likely it is the whole package of beneficial nutrients you obtain by eating fruits and vegetables that is crucial is health.”

“This is why it is important to eat whole plant foods to get the benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements (which have not been shown to reduce disease risk).”

Dr Aune says that further research into the effects of specific types of fruits and vegetables and preparation methods of fruit and vegetables is needed.

“We also need more research on the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake with causes of death other than cancer and cardiovascular disease,” he says.

He finalizes: “However, it is clear from this work that a high intake of fruit and vegetables hold tremendous health benefits, and we should try to increase their intake in our diet.”

by Hannah Gardiner

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